Kenya signs deals on renewable energy in Paris

Environment Ministry Cabinet Secretary Prof Judi Wakhungu

Paris, France: Kenya has signed three deals on reinforced corporation in sustainable energy intended to drive the country to cut on greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment Ministry Cabinet Secretary Prof Judi Wakhungu signed the three deals that will ensure the country produces clean energy.

Wakhungu entered into a renewable energy investment agreement worth Sh1 billion (10 million USD) deal with the Renewable Energy Investment Agreement in Africa.

On Tuesday, she also signed a deal with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the global geothermal alliance.

She said these initiatives are intended to expand geothermal energy generation in Kenya.

Currently we are producing 600 megawatts of geothermal energy. We are positive that very soon we will produce up to 10,000 megawatts. This was a major achievement, "she said.

Three days ago, Kenya also signed a deal worth Sh20 trillion (200 billion USD) with the World Bank intended to improve clean energy levels in the country.

"Apart from being part of the climate deal negotiations, as a country, we are also here to secure financial support for climate related investments. Going forward, all countries need to adapt to renewable energy activities, "she said.

She said that apart from improving geothermal energy, there is need to expand solar, wind, and hydro-power generations that will provide off the grid electricity hence more environmental friendly.

"We have also talked with investors who want to invest more in renewable energy like the Lake Turkana wind project. We are going to continue exploring clean energy resources. We want to generate 18,000megawatts by 2020,"she said.

Wakhungu said as a sovereign state they are also exploring all available energy resources like coal and petroleum.

"We know that coal and petroleum are not clean energy. But as a country we intend to handle them with the most advanced technologies to keep emissions low. We are part of a clean climate coalition on strategy for lowering emission, "she said.

The ministry also intends to push for climate smart agriculture which will ensure that fewer inputs will be used in farms and more technology will be applied to lower the level soil pollution.

Wakhungu was speaking in Paris, France where over 190 party states are attending a climate change conference that will result in a deal intended to ensure global warming does not increase with more than 1.5 degrees.

African civil society groups under the auspice of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (Pacja) have asked African negotiator s to ensure that a comprehensive, fair and ecologically just and legally binding agreement is delivered.

Action Aids' Senior Policy Analyst Brandon Wu said there is a probability of the financial text being extremely weak.

"The financial text will be extremely weak. This is one of the disappointing issues. We are not going to get much form the adaptation fiancé, "he said in a press conference.